Disconnected
by gotosleepryan
Summary: When Velma wakes up and finds herself in a large, dark, and empty room with only a strange woman to guide her out, she's not sure what she's embarking on. All she knows for sure is that she needs to stop shutting down. Rated T for safety (some dark themes later on)
1. Large, Empty Room

**Hi! It's ya boi here with another story! I'm not sure where I really wanted to go with this or how I came to how it goes, but anyway, enjoy my newest story!**

(Also the italics are mostly her inner monologue)

 **OoOoOoOoO**

When Velma came to, she was laying down on a surface. She wasn't able to tell much about it, even by feeling the surface with her hands. It felt like glass, but it probably wouldn't be able to support her, so she ruled it out but left it as a possibility. It was neither warm nor cool, comfortable nor uncomfortable. She spent a while merely stroking the surface languidly, as the smoothness of the "glass" soothed her.

 _How did I end up here?_ she asked herself.

It didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was alive and doing better than expected after...

She shot up suddenly, aware of the pain in her head. It was a dull ache, really, not enough to render her unable to move, but it was where...

She shuddered and pushed back the memory. It had something to do with why she was here. And where she was in the first place.

Did _he_ trap her here?

She found her glasses were still perched on her face, eerily perfectly. She looked around. Darkness surrounded her, swallowing her whole. She stood up. She couldn't see if there was a wall or ceiling, so she walked in one direction for a few moments before deeming that this was a very large room.

She took another step and without warning, a sob in the back of her throat released itself. A sob she hadn't known she'd been choking back. She found herself overcome with feelings and emotions she couldn't identify. It brought her to her knees, but she wasn't able to react to any of it.

 _Oh, no, I'm shutting down again,_ she realized, and it was true.

Before it could get worse, she forced herself to crawl back into the direction she came from and the powerful feelings subsided. That was strange. She stood back up and walked in the opposite direction for a few moments.

She wondered what had caused that surge of what she wanted to call sadness. But it was powerful. At least, the reaction it gave her was. The thing was, she hadn't _felt_ upset. It was just an onslaught of tears. She wiped her nose with her sleeve and continued on.

"Hello?" she finally asked. Her voice didn't echo. "Is anyone in here? Where am I?" No one responded and she sighed and finally made a left.

The lack of walls was frustrating. This room, as far as she could tell, stretched on infinitely. It didn't feel right. She moved onward until she saw a faint glow. She turned toward the light and moved forward.

She approached a woman with light brown skin and ebony hair tied into a ponytail. Her eyes were closed and she was sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Hello?" The woman opened her eyes and smiled warmly.

"Hello, Velma."

"How... How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things about you."

 _Ooooookay..._

"Do you know what this place is? I want to find my way out."

"Oh, my dear, there's no way out."

Alissa's expression was oddly cheerful for such a dark thing to say. Upon noticing Velma's rather confused expression, she smiled again.

"I can certainly show you around, help you understand it, perhaps?" Velma nodded. The woman chuckled.

"You may call me Alissa. Welcome."

"What is this place?" Alissa stood up and gestured for Velma to follow her.

"I don't think I can just tell you. Perhaps with time, I will, but I think you can figure it out." Velma followed Alissa through the abyss for what felt like forever.

"Where are we going?"

"Here." Alissa raised a hand. Light poured from her fingertips like a flashlight and Velma was able to see they were in what looked like a forest.

 _What?_

"We'll reach a clearing soon."

Velma was perplexed but continued to follow Alissa. She didn't want to go back to the darkness. Plus, there was something... Comfortable about her. She was easy to trust.

 _Somehow._

"I feel as though I must warn you, this journey may be difficult for you, but it is entirely necessary. I want you to remember this as we continue."

"Why is it necessary?" Alissa sighed.

"You're broken. I'm trying to help you repair yourself."

 _That was oddly cryptic,_ Velma noted.

What did Alissa mean by broken? She felt alright! Still, **no way** was she staying in this dark room forever. Velma took a deep breath and stepped into the dirt and tree branches.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **Hi again** **! Before we continue, I just wanted to add that my very first burst of inspiration came from the game _Cats Are Liquid_ (really great game by the way) because of it's interesting storytelling, but I can assure you that no, Velma is not a cat that can turn into a puddle and she doesn't learn to fly (or bomb things... Or obtain a gray square). _Cats Are Liquid_ was only my first bit of inspiration, but I'm adding it for credit anyway, since doing so otherwise wouldn't be fair. Until next time!**


	2. Velma's Tree

**Guess who already has a second chapter? Seriously, though, updates will be irregular but frequent. I promise I'll finish, I already have an ending outline that will not go to waste. Still not so dark but it will get a bit worse.** **Also** **, before any of you say anything, this story has nothing to do with _Inside Out_ and if you say otherwise I will hunt you down and slap you. And then apologize cause I can see why you may get that impression.**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

As soon as she exited the clearing, there was warm sunshine all around her. She took in a breath of fresh air. Alissa turned around.

"This is going to be the easiest part of the journey. Right now, where you are, you are dealing with an emotion easy to feel: happiness. It's not as intense as some bouts of euphoria, but try to notice the simplicity in your joy."

Velma wasn't sure where exactly she was going when Alissa let her pass, but there was something leading her...

She looked up. The sun was hanging low and it didn't feel like morning, and given the direction she was going in relative to the sun...

Southeast. She was going southeast.

She reached a spot that made her stop in her tracks. It was a rather familiar sight. A small oak tree with gnarled bark. To some, it would look like the ugliest little shrub in the world. To Velma, it reminded her of one of her favorite things to do when she was little.

 _Is this real?_

She touched the bark to make sure it was and found the exact place she used to boost herself up on. It was easier now that she was taller (but not too much taller, unfortunately) to climb up and sit in the spot she used to sit in and read her favorite books.

Looking back, Velma could tell why she once loved this spot so much. It was a rather comfortable perch the way the branches bent, and the leaves provided ample shading so she could avoid burning.

And then she remembered where she was and what had really become of this tree. It had gotten sick and started losing its branches. Eventually, it became too much of a hazard and Velma had to find another place to read. Her parents built her a little tree house at some point, but she hadn't liked it as much as her tree.

And here it was again.

 _But how?_

"Comfortable?" Velma had forgotten that Alissa was there and bumped her head on the branch above her.

"Ow." Alissa laughed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I'm glad to see you remember this tree."

"How is it here? It was cut down so long ago and replaced with that ugly old aspen tree." She wrinkled her nose and Alissa laughed again.

"It exists because you brought it into existence. This is part of one of your fondest memories. Now, I want you to confront this happiness. Why do you love this tree?"

"Well... Because it was a really nice spot to read?"

"I know that, but try to dig a little deeper. The root, no pun intended, of your happiness. Aside from being a nice place to read in, what has it done for you that you may not have realized it did?"

"Hmm..." Velma contemplated it. "I guess you could say that, in a way, it sort of provided for me. I never had the sun in my eyes, it was harder to burn, it helped provide oxygen?"

"That's definitely part of it. What about the nostalgia it stirs up?"

"It definitely does that. I can remember days where I'd sit for hours and just read and try not to get stung by bees..." Velma got down and rested her hand on the bark fondly. "Funny how a little tree like this can bring back some of the best memories." As she spoke, the sky seemed to turn bluer.

"It's not funny, really," Alissa told her. "Many people have many little things that make them happy. This is just one of the many, many things that make you happy, including reading, your friends, even shopping for orange sweaters." A small smile made its way across Velma's face.

"As much as I hate to do this to you, it's time to move on. You've fixed your connection with your happiness. However, there are other feelings you need to confront and repair."

"This is an emotional journey?"

"I didn't mention that?"

"Not really."

"Oh. Well, this is an emotional journey! Repairing your feelings, yay..." She gave a weak thumbs up. Velma chuckled anxiously.

 _Do I even have the emotional availability for this?_

She swallowed hard.

"I don't know if I'm ready."

"I promise, once you fix your connections, this will all be okay again. Now, we need to go further down the forest." Alissa led the way again and Velma gave her tree one last look before following.

 _What will be okay again?_ She asked as she continued and the sky grew a bit darker.

 _What happened to me?_

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **Once** **again, I'm not really sure where exactly I was going with this, but it's an adventure and it's... Kinda spiritual, I guess, but please let me know if you liked this chapter and Velma's lil tree. Please? I need to know if this "emotional-repairing-yourself-type-journey" is an interesting concept.**


	3. Surprise and a Bog

**Hi! Time for 'nother chapter! This one is honestly my least favorite, but this does need to go somewhere. ~Sigh~**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"The next you'll be dealing with isn't that hard either. It isn't as connected to your memories, but we are drawing from what you know. Now, you're going to deal with..."

"Surprise!" came a yell. Velma turned toward the sound of the noise.

"Guys? What are you doing here?" In front of her were Daphne, Fred, Shaggy and Scooby.

"I really hate to be the bearer of bad news," Alissa said, gripping her shoulder, "but this, unfortunately, is an illusion. Surprise, like I said, is fairly easy to work through and repair."

"So you mean it's not really them?"

"No, unfortunately."

"When will I be able to see them again?"

"When you reconnect yourself." She sighed. "Now, why did they surprise you?"

"I guess... I guess I just wasn't expecting them to be here."

"That's almost precisely it. Why didn't you expect it?"

"They were just suddenly here, and I haven't seen them since coming here, wherever here is. Also, they gave me a bit of a spook." Alissa laughed.

"Surprises do that. I know you're probably very happy to see them, but..." Velma sighed.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Remember, when you return, you can see the real ones again. If you stayed and tried to interact, they wouldn't be very good at seeming like your friends. No one in surprise is."

"Have you done this before?" Alissa only smiled and strode forward.

"Why is that a shocking revelation?" Alissa continued and Velma stood dumbstruck for a moment.

"Alissa, wait!"

OoOoOoOoO

As they continued, Velma noticed a foul scent. Unfortunately, they moved toward the smell.

"What's that smell?"

"Not very nice, is it?"

"Yeah. What is it? Seriously, it's getting worse." They turned at a rather sharp angle and the stench from whatever was ahead made Velma feel sick to her stomach. Past a clearing in the trees was a bog.

A bubbly and ugly bog.

That was the source of the stench, Velma realized as the overpowering smell washed over her, bringing another wave of nausea.

"We have to cross that?" Velma asked once she had gotten over the wave of nausea.

She looked to find Alissa and saw...

"How did you get over there?!" she shrieked.

"The log I stepped on sunk," Alissa replied apologetically. Velma crossed her arms. "There's no other way around. You can do it! I believe in you!"

"If you think I'm stepping in this shit, you're crazy!"

"There's no way to deal with it without confronting it." Checkmate. Both Velma and Alissa knew it. She gingerly stepped into the bog. It was only ankle deep. As she walked a bit further, it didn't get very much deeper, but bubbles kept rising and bursting.

"Wait," Velma called. "If it doesn't get deeper than this, how did the log sink?" Alissa put her hands on her hips and laughed. "You didn't use a log, did you? You somehow can control this place, why didn't you admit that?"

"Because you're so grounded in logic it wouldn't have made sense."

"None of this makes sense, grounded in logic or not," she grumbled as she resumed again. Alissa concealed a small smirk with her hand. "This isn't very funny!"

"It is from here," she said back.

Velma reached the other side and stepped onto the dirt, splattering God-knows-what-was-in-that-bog on it.

"You did good. I'm proud of you."

"I regret everything," Velma muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"But guess what? You fixed another connection. You're halfway through this!" Velma perked up significantly.

"Really?"

"Yes!" Alissa guided her forward gently. When her shoe made a squishy sound, she tried not to gag.

"Don't worry, we're coming up on a stream. No need for the smell to keep following you." Velma laughed.

"That's a relief."

"Now, on a more serious note, things will only get worse from here. This was the easy part. You'll have to deal with more powerful emotions than merely happiness, surprise, and disgust."

For once, Velma said this without hesitation.

"I'm ready."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **Okay** **, now we're gonna get into some better stuff! The next chapter's gonna have a certain _annoying_ _character_ from What's New, Scooby Doo? _Frighthouse of a Lighthouse_! If you don't get the context, I'd recommend watching that first.**

 **As** **always, reviews are very appreciated!**


	4. Her Again?

**Yes, another one already! I actually had the hardest time with the last chapter so... Yeah. Guess what's gonna be finished tonight?**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

As they continued deeper, the sky took on a rather reddish hue. Velma swallowed hard but continued.

"What do I have to deal with here?"

"Something rather... Destructive."

"Destructive?" Velma, without realizing where she was going, bumped into someone. She snorted.

"Jinkers, Velma, can't you watch where you're going?" Verona Dimpsey asked in that annoying, nasally voice of hers.

"Verona? What are you doing here?" She felt agitation prickling in her stomach.

"Trying to figure out just where I am. Do you have any idea?" She snorted. "What am I saying, you never have any idea."

"Hey!" Alissa rested a hand on her shoulder. She must have sensed her quickly growing frustration.

"Who's this?" Verona asked, directing her attention away from Alissa.

"Does it matter?"

"Well, if you were actually a decent mystery solver, you'd know that the first step when you're stuck in one is to get to know who everyone is. I'm doing just that." Velma made a frustrated noise and stalked away.

"Where are we going next?"

"Ah-ah," Alissa tutted, gently but firmly taking hold of her shoulders and turning her around. "The only way to get through anything here is to deal with it head on and resolve the conflicts you're having with whatever it is. Happiness and surprise and even a bit of disgust were easy to deal with. Now you need to deal with this."

"But why?" she whined. "Why do I need to resolve this?" Alissa sighed.

"Like I said before you started on this path, you're broken. Up here." She tapped on her skull. "And one of the easier ways to fix it is to get in touch with certain conflicts relating to your basic emotions and resolve them."

"So Verona is still a conflict for me?"

"Is she? She seems to be under your skin. How do you think you can go about resolving this?" Velma sighed.

"By working through it?"

"Exactly." She made a noise of frustration.

How can I work through this?

A very basic plan came to mind and she wondered if it'd work.

"You're lost?" she asked, turning to Verona.

"No, I'm exactly where I want to be, in a big, boggy forest. Of course I'm lost!" Velma crossed her arms.

"The beginning of the path isn't too far from here," she said, forcing herself to not make a biting remark. "You'll have to cross through a really gross bog, but if you just keep following different clearings, you'll find yourself at the beginning. I'm not sure how I got here, either, but that's advice I have to offer." Verona's face changed between annoyance, disbelief, and finally...

 _Gratitude_?

"...Thanks," she mumbled and started sheepishly turning toward the clearing Velma and Alissa had come through. "I'm sure that information will come in handy," she said sincerely. She vanished once she passed the clearing.

"What?"

"Remember, Velma, you're dealing with things pertaining to your memories. The real Verona is still in jail."

"Oh. But..."

"That was actually a clever way to resolve the problem. I know kindness isn't a very strong suit sometimes, especially when it comes to people you don't like, but now you've not only repaired your link to anger, but if she were real, started building a bridge."

"Really?"

"Yes! Now, come on! You're almost finished!" Alissa moved forward with a bit of a spring in her step. Velma wasn't so optimistic, but followed Alissa anyway.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **Hi again** **! I mostly want to know how the story is going and how you like it. Also, the next chapter has a _certain_ warlock from _Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost._** **Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	5. Fear

**Okay! Let's get into this!**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Velma swallowed hard again as she noticed the sky turning an even darker red. The leaves on the trees were gone, there weren't even traces of them on the ground. The trees themselves slowly grew skinnier and more gnarled than the ones before.

"What am I dealing with here?"

"Just keep walking." She nodded and kept going. She heard a light thud in the grass next to her. She turned to find the source of the sound but saw no one. She looked around.

"Alissa?" There wasn't an answer. Velma felt her heart rate quicken. "Alissa!" Nothing. She heard another noise behind her. Whispers. She whipped around and only noticed an odd shadow.

She stepped closer, then the shadow grew taller. It didn't belong to Velma, that was for sure. She noticed who the shadow's build resembled too late. Hands reached for her and one made contact with her shoulder.

A real hand.

She turned around quickly to find herself staring right into Ben Ravencroft's cold glare.

She screamed as Ben's grip tightened and he grinned sinisterly.

"What are you doing here, you're dead!" she blurted out.

"Not here," he said in a bone-chilling tone. She backed away but Ben continued to advance.

"Leave me alone," she said quietly. She didn't watch where she was going and bumped into a tree. Ben loomed over her like a nimbostratus cloud over the earth.

"Why?" he challenged a bit belligerently. "What sort of power do you have against me?"

"Do you even have those powers?" she asked before clamping her hands over her mouth. She regretted saying it the millisecond she did.

Ben only laughed in response. She noticed he didn't have his glasses on and seemed to see just fine. Not a good sign.

"I'll never achieve power over this world, thanks to you and your friends, but maybe I can still have power over some things," he said, looking around at the forest before looking back to her.

"No!"

"What's the matter? Don't like me anymore?"

Her heart felt like it was going to explode. Adrenaline kicked in as she remembered what Alissa said.

Deal with it head on.

She took her advice literally and jumped forward. She smashed right into his jaw and he staggered, allowing her to run away. She looked back once she reached the trees and saw him sprawled out on the ground.

Was he unconscious?

"Why did you do that?" Alissa asked, appearing right next to her and causing her to momentarily panic. Alissa eyed her warily.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, when confronted, you sort of dealt with it, but not in a healing matter."

"I didn't know what to do! He had me cornered!"

"Fear is always one of the more difficult ones to work through," Alissa noted, "because of fight, flight, freeze, but I suppose you did manage to deal with it. It's not exactly what I was hoping for and fear may manifest itself into your last challenge, but you did do something.

"Each of these challenges has been leading up to something I'm not sure you're ready to deal with, but nevertheless, you need to press on."

"What will happen if I don't?"

"You could be lost here for a very long time. In fact, you might never leave."

"Will you?" Alissa looked away, as if avoiding the question. Velma knew her silence was not good. "Fine. Which way am I going?"

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **What is up, my dudes? Was this any good? Is it getting better? I know this story kind of sucks but ahhh I liked the concept okay? Like I had a really good idea that stemmed from my inspiration and failed to do it justice but whatever.**

 **Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	6. Hollow

**Guess what? This is actually my favorite chapter and I hope you guys like it!**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

As they continued and Velma's nerves finally calmed, she noticed the sky slowly darkened. The cheerful forest she knew in the beginning was gone. Fog started to roll in, obscuring her view of almost everything.

"Where are we now?" Alissa looked at her solemnly.

"The last connection you need to make." Velma pressed forward. She heard a cackle from somewhere in the distance. Instict kicked in and she ran toward the source of the laugh.

The cackles continued and she started to hear shrieks coming from somewhere within. Her heart rate increased again and she kept running despite slamming into branches and stumbling on roots.

She found herself inside of another clearing, but no one was there. The cackles and screams ceased.

Fear had better not have manifested itself again. She wasn't prepared for it.

She backed up and tripped over another root, finally falling. She crashed into the underbrush leading back into the forest. Small cuts and scratches made themselves apparent by stinging, but Velma ignored them.

She looked around and to her surprise and dismay, saw a sight that made her heart drop into her shoes.

It was _him_.

The nameless villain she and her friends were facing before she had been sent here.

They had all been thrown into something dangerous all because they picked up clues leading them into the forest...

 _Just like where I am_ , she realized.

It was him, the nameless villain who broke her before nearly killing her. Who seemed to take immeasurable glee in making sure she knew she was worth nothing.

He noticed her and grinned wickedly. Standing up was useless, she knew, because he'd just kick her down again. There was a thud as he dropped from the treetops, but at least she could see him.

"What do you think you're doing back here?" She didn't respond, just looked away and tried to keep the memories of what he'd done from surfacing. The guilt and fear over it was turning her stomach into knots.

Fear had manifested itself again and she really wasn't ready to deal with this.

He somehow was able to cast lifelike illusions, and he slowly wore every one of her friends down by showing them illusions of the things they feared and what made them unravel and spiral into hopeless grief.

"ALISSA, HELP ME!" She had fallen in, forgotten none of this was real. Because he was real, he was tangible, and he had so much power over her it was frightening.

He cackled.

"She can't help you. Stand up." She did, afraid of what he could do.

Something nagged at the back of her mind.

 _What_ _if he cast this illusion to keep me here? Insisting it was fixing me when it's just another way of hurting me?_

He stepped forward and cleared away the underbrush. He gestured as if to have her go first, and when she pushed ahead, he threw her roughly to the ground. She landed hard on her elbows in front of something that wasn't part of the forest.

She realized it was a corpse. She screamed and noticed...

 _It's Alissa!_

She looked around and saw the lifeless figures of her friends, her family, even Verona.

" _No!_ "

"You could have saved them, but the time you spent searching for me in this fog allowed me to complete my task. And this is no illusion, Velma."

Somehow, she believed him.

"No, no, no, no, **NO!** " She put her hands over her ears and shut her eyes. The memories of his illusions came back strongly, willing themselves into her mind.

Where she had to make choices, thinking she was really sacrificing one of her friends, sometimes more than one, always without a way for her to take whatever they would. And they'd endure it in the illusions. Most ended in instant death.

Because he knew what Velma feared the most: the end of existence, and the end of her friend's existences, where she was forced to make a choice.

She did the only thing she knew what to do: she started to shut down again. Stifling the memories, however, caused much more than the thoughts and what she saw and heard to stop. She felt numb again.

She finally looked up and everything was dark. No forest, no trees, no grass and dirt, no sky, not even the haunting fog. Just like when she first got here. Velma crumpled to her knees.

 _When is this nightmare going to end?_

Suddenly, a disturbing thought came to mind: Had she actually been in this infinite, empty room the whole time?

"Why am I still here?" she whispered into the darkness. Alissa didn't respond. Velma pulled her shoulders closer to her body. "Why am I STILL here?!" Nothing. "ALISSA!" Without even the soothing voice to guide her, to keep her company in whatever this hellhole was, she felt hollow.

Everything had left her behind. She didn't have anything or anyone left. She really was broken. The overwhelming feelings from way before came back and she tried her hardest to fight them away, but it grew too strong and she collapsed onto her knees like earlier. Finally, the tears came, occupied with real sadness and remorse this time.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into the air. "I couldn't help you." When silence greeted her, she covered her mouth before continuing to sob into the darkness for who-knows-how-long.

When she opened her eyes again, she noticed the room itself was faintly glowing yellow. A welcome sight stood before her.

"Alissa!" She wiped her eyes.

"You still don't know what this place is?" was all she asked. Velma shook her head. She crouched down next to Velma, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Not the faintest clue. I don't know why I had to endure all of this, except to fix whatever's broken. All I know is that I'm somehow connected to it, but that's it."

"Connected to it?" Alissa laughed. "My friend, you are not merely connected to this room. It is infinite, beautiful, powerful. It is you. And you are this room." Velma's expression only grew more puzzled.

"Imagine, your mind, corporeal. But it stretches so far you can't manage to make it very far even if you walk for hours. How else can you explain all of this, everything that connects to you as a person?"

"Are you saying... This room is me?"

"Yes. This room, it is the truest you, yet it is beyond what you can understand. So it compacted itself into something you could understand. Feelings are a part of your unconscious mind, and with your recent trauma around him, you needed to repair the broken link between conscious and unconscious, the deadliest mind game he could play. This was the simplest way to do so."

"What does that make you?"

"I'm merely your guide to your own mind. You know me from somewhere in your subconscious. You needed someone to help you muddle through this. So whoever I am in the real world manifested."

"Why the name Alissa? Was your name Alissa?"

"I don't know, and I doubt that's really her name. Ask yourself. Why the name Alissa, Velma?" She looked left and right, searching for an answer. She noticed the colors around her had changed to orange. It was slowly growing redder. She couldn't draw any conclusions about why she was named Alissa, but she realized one thing.

"That's why I only felt those memories come back when I was supposed to be sad and fearful. When I was in the region that caused me to feel the way I did," was the only conclusion she was able to draw.

"Exactly. And repressing the memories and shutting yourself down is what caused the room to go dark again, but when you felt real grief, even without a prompt, without shutting yourself down, and were able to work your way through why you felt this way, you repaired the final link. Ironically, realizing you were broken and coming to terms with it is what fixed you.

"Your journey has made you wiser and whole again, and I hope you realize that you are a part of something bigger, something more than what you think you are. However, your journey has come to an end."

Orange light flashed in front of Alissa's face.

"You've been sleeping this entire time."

"This is a dream?!" Nothing came out, oddly, the way it did in a dream, but Alissa chuckled nevertheless.

"No. It's not what you would consider a dream. This is... A paralyzing illusion. But not one of his. Now, all you need to do is..."

The lights surrounded Velma, obscuring her view of Alissa.

"Wake up," she whispered as everything went black.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **Was** **it any good? There's still another chapter coming, so hold on a minute while I finish editing it.**

 **Reviews** **, as always, are greatly appreciated!**


	7. Awake and Alive

**Last chapter!**

 **OoOoOoOoO**

Immediately, she opened her eyes to find herself in a hospital room connected to an IV. Doctors surrounded her. One of them sighed.

"She's awake."

"Sir, should I retrieve her friends?"

"Yes. Finally, they'll leave us alone." He chuckled lightly. "Good to see you awake again."

"What?"

"You took a rather nasty beating in that forest, had a pretty bad concussion."

"What?!"

"Easy, easy. You're going to be okay. We were able to save you. You're gonna be okay." Her friends came in cautiously.

She started crying unexpectedly. Fred was the first to reach her bedside. She noticed he had bruises all over his hands and neck and and cried harder. He wrapped his arms around her frail frame, shushing her.

"You're alive!" she gasped.

"Of course we're alive. And we're okay. He's gone now."

"But I..."

"Hey," Shaggy said firmly. "Like, don't talk like that. Don't doubt this. You're okay." Somehow, Shaggy talking to her like this soothed her. Maybe because he was absolutely sure about this. He had a nasty gash on his forearm. Daphne followed Shaggy to her bedside and Scooby set his paws on the bed. Velma laughed.

"How'd you convince them to let you in here?"

"Shh. Like, he's not supposed to be." Velma laughed. She pet him gently.

"Well, I'm very happy to see you, Scooby Doo." He licked her face. The doctor cleared his throat.

"We do need to get the dog out before one of us gets in trouble. You can pick Velma up when we discharge her. It won't be long now." They all quietly exited. "How'd you rest?" Velma raised her eyebrows. "That bad, huh? Well, I have to enter some info, but Megan and Trent here will stay with you. You'll like them. They're nice."

"Thank you." He nodded and exited and a woman with dark brown hair tied into a ponytail came in and joined Trent. Her face was familiar... Velma inhaled sharply.

"You okay?" Trent asked.

"Hmm?"

"Well, you look like you saw a ghost!"

"I'm okay," she wavered. Trent shook his head and left and it was just Velma and Megan.

"I'm glad you made it out," Megan said, not glancing up from her clipboard.

"What?! How do you..."

"The quick explanation is I'm like _him_. In a way. Not for evil, mind you. The trauma he caused you would have killed you, but I can also help with the mind's inner workings and, like my manifestation may have said, you needed to fix yourself. I couldn't do it for you. But you're here now. Welcome back to the real world."

Megan and Velma both sensed footsteps coming in.

"Don't tell anyone I snagged you extra Jello," she said and bumped into the doctor.

"Megan," he said warningly. "We've talked about that."

"She's so small! Look at her, she needs something in her system after all of that yucky IV stuff!"

Velma laughed as the doctor continued to chastise Megan.

Why did I name her projection Alissa? she wondered.

Does it matter? countered another part of her.

No.

She was awake and alive.

And she was no longer broken.

Everything was going to be okay.

 **OoOoOoOoO**

 **Well** **? *shrugs shyly* How was it? Keep in mind I'm still fairly new to this, so please be nice! I really do need to learn to bring justice to such an awesome (in my opinion) concept.**

 **Fun** **fact** **: I wrote almost everything after midnight.**

 **Reviews** **are greatly appreciated!**

 **Also** **, so are you!**


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